John Rumm wrote:

One thing (and this may not be applicable here) is making sure your
ladder is man enough for the job. Being taller/heavier than most I
find that "DIY" rated ladders can be quite scary simply because the
flop all over the place when I get on them! A proper BS EN 131 trade
rated ladder makes all the difference. Also make sure the ladder is
tall enough to allow proper access. So if you need to climb onto
something, it needs to sail past at least 4' so you can safely get on
an off whatever. When working on a ladder, having a good standoff can
make it far more comfortable. Also knowing its not going to slip etc
helps. So make sure the feet are in good condition on suitable
ground. The ladder is erected at the right angle. If in any doubt,
drive a eyelet into something near the top (or find something
suitable to tie onto), and tie the top of the ladder to it.


1. An eyelet even half-way up will do the trick. The point is that the OP is
unhappy above 10 ft.

2. You can get ladders with an extra bar at the bottom to make them more
stable. Why doesn't everyone use those?